The President's team works to win - Nandi-Ndaitwah

International relations and cooperation minister and Swapo Party vice presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said she is set for a romping victory come congress next month.

“I will win! The president’s team is working to win. How do you say that you are going in there knowing you are not going to win? We are going to win,” she said in an exclusive interview with The Villager.

Nandi-Ndaitwah also said her team is engaging with the people on the grassroots, “telling them the reality and the reality that will make this country a country that everybody will be proud (of)”.

“It’s a party that is going to guide the developmental agenda of this country. I have already mentioned (it) and what I mentioned does not only apply to me, it applies to the whole list," she said.

She added, “Talk about the president himself, when he was made a representative, coming from that colonised Namibia, put in America and how much work he has done. Come to the Institute for Namibia, how many people now in senior positions in this government that have gone through his administration at the institute.”

She rubbished sentiments that delegates at the congress will not act upon their conscience and will be subject to being remote controlled.

“In fact, if there is anyone who is saying that, that person wants to insult the intelligence of the delegates. People know what they want for this country, and when they are being prepared from their regions and when they are going to be then at the congress, they are doing so not in their interest, not (in) the interest of individuals but in the interest of this country,” she said.

She also said that the delegates should not allow anybody to sow seeds of confusion among them to alter how they see the national vision.

Nandi-Ndaitwah suggested that while she is focused on the tasks that are put before her, she is more than willing to take on the reins as Namibia’s first female president.

She did not deny either, that her nomination is a grooming process for a possibility that may land her the position of the highest office in the land.

“Whenever I am given responsibilities, I take them as they are. People can see what is in sight, they can make their assessment. If the Namibian people have a plan that one day we will make Netumbo the president of the country, let their plan be fulfilled. But now given this opportunity I will focus on my work as the vice president of the Swapo Party,” she said.

Geingob has been scoffed for seemingly defying the unwritten Swapo dictate that demands that seniority ought to be adhered to, however, Nandi-Ndaitwah said all his nominees are seniors.

“I don’t know how people are defining seniority in this context. Of all the people that have been nominated by the president, they have all served the president at different levels. They did not join the Swapo Party in 1990, they joined (a) long time (ago). It’s a team which has been there longer (enough)”

“I don’t know if you joined Swapo in 1966 and then as a youth immediately the Swapo Youth League was established at the Tanga consultative congress then you are elected as leader of the youth then you are called to be not senior. It is imperative for people to do their research,” she said.

With a rival female cadre, Iivula-Ithana, also vying for the top position as vice president rivalling her in the race, Nandi-Ndaitwah said this by no means reflects that the female party cadres are disunited.

“That is the attitude when it comes to women, but it’s never an attitude when it comes to men. Look at the four positions to be contested. Position number one is just men, can’t we ask a question that men are disunited? Why women to be found not united because you have a position that is contested by two women?” she queried.

Given that she scoops the vice presidency, the deputy prime minister said she would focus on unity guided by the party constitution.